Automatic electrical display apparatus.



PATENTED'JUL-Y 5, 1904. B. A. GILBERT. AUTOMATIGELEOTRIOAL DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 10. 1903.

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PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRICAL DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIDH FILED JUNE 10. 1903.

NO MODEL 3 BHEET8-BHEET 2.

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B. A. GILBERT. AUTOMATIC ELECTRICAL DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 10. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NO MODEL.

MIIIIIIIIM INI/EHT I? A BY ATTORNEY.

Patented July 5, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

BERNARD A. GILBERT, OF PHILADELPI-IIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNUR T0 LILLIAN T. GILBERT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRICAL DISPLAY APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 764,539, dated July 5, 1904.

Application filed June 10,1903. Serial (N0 lnfldel-l To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BERNARD A. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Electrical Display Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of apparatus for antomatically displaying in a certain order of succession designs, photographs, and signs for advertising matter.

My invention consists of automatic electrical apparatus for displaying signs or the like whereby a series of signs or legends may be caused to appear in a certain order of succes sion and when the last has been displayed to cause them to be automatically reversed and displayed in an inverse order.

My invention consists of a series of signs, advertisements, or the like, mounted upon or carried by a curtain or sheet which is adapted to be advanced from time to time to bring a new sign or advertising matter into view. The advancement and control of the sign-bearing sheet or curtain is accomplished by electrical means.

As an example of the employment of my apparatus may be stated its use in a trolleycar. In this relation the separate signs or legends may indicate the streets crossed by the car, such signs or legends being displayed to the occupants o1 the car in an order of succession corresponding with the order of succession of the streets crossed, the sign correspending to a certain street being caused to appear immediately after the car has left the street immediately preceding.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuits for the control and actuation of the display apparatus. curtain or sheet carrying the advertising matter. Fig. 3 is a front view of a panel opposite an opening in which the advertising matter is broughtin succession. Fig. 1 is a front View of the curtain winding apparatus, in which the curtain is partly cut away. Fig. 5 is Fig. 2 is a view of the a cross-sectional view, partly in elevation, of the winding apparatus shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an end elevation oi the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a view of automatic control apparatus used in connection with my invention when used for window or street advertising or the like. Fig. 8 is a view of the indicator-dial used in connection with the apparatus shown in Fig. 7 when it is desired to indicate what sign or advertisement is at the moment being displayed.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 represents a member pivoted at 2 and carried by a moving car, such as a trolley-car, upon a trolley-pole or any other exteriorly-exposed member. Upon the trolley-wire, the rails, or any suitable means there is mounted just beyond each street-crossing a projection or lug which is engaged by the member 2 as it passes, and in consequence said member 2 is caused to push upwardly the springretracted member 3, having at its lower end a head or flange 4, engaged by the roller 5, carried in the member 1. The member 3 in its upward travel causes the springcontact 6 to engage momentarily the contact 7, thus closing a circuit including the source of energy 8, conductor 9, contacts 6 and 7, conductor 10, electric magnet 11, and conductor 12. This momentary cnergization of the magnet 11 results in the attraction of the armature13, which then contacts by means of a member at its outer end with the leaf-s )ring 14, causing the latter to engage the springpressed contact 15. The magnet .11 and its circuit-controlling armature 13 constitute what is well understood in the electrical arts as a relay. This closes a circuit including the source of energy 16, conductor 12, armature 13, leaf-spring 14, contact 15, conductor 17, elcctromagnet 18, and conductor .19. As before stated, as the member 1 passes over the projection on the trolley-wire or the like 111214;- nets 11 are momentarily energized, resulting in a closure of the circuit last traced. As soon as the member 1 has passed the projcc tion or lug the electroniagnet 11 is deifmergized and the armature 13 falls back in the position shown. In thus falling back, however, the contact 15 follows spring It, thus maintaining the circuit of the magnet 18 closed a little longer than in a case where non-following contacts were employed. Upon the encrgization of the electromagnet 18 its armature 20 is attracted, rotated about its pivot 21, and lifting the latch 22 in opposition to spring 23 releases the armature 24, which is then pulled to the left by spring 25, closing circuit at contact 26. The armature 24 and contact 26 when in engagement close the circuit of the motor M, whose armature is shown at 27 and whose field-winding in series with the armature is shown at 28. This motor M derives its energy from a generator G or other source of energy, such as an ordinary commercial electrical circuit. 29 represents the usual double-pole switch, and 30 is a resistance in series with the motor, this resistance being used or not, according to circumstances. The motor M drives the curtain-winding apparatus heretofore referred to. The motor M continues to rotate so long as circuit is closed at' 24 and 26. The curtain being advanced by the motor M by mechanism to be hereinafter described brings a contact 31 into bridging relation with the metallic slip-rings 32 and 33, thus closing a circuit including the electromagnet 34, conductor 35, contact 36, armature 13, conductor 12, source of energy 16, slip-ring 33, contact-plate 31, slip-ring 32, and conductor 37. Electromagnet 34 is therefore energized by source 16, because armature 13 has fallen, due to the deenergization of magnet 11. Armature 24 is in consequence attracted by electromagnet 34, thus opening the circuit of the motor M and attracting the clip 38 toward the right along the inclined edge 39 of the latch 22, raising said latch and allowing it to drop behind the clip 38, locking the armature 24 in the position shown in Fig.1. From this it is apparent that the contact 31, carried by the curtain or sheet, stops the motor and brings certain signs or advertisements into view. and 7, however, magnet 11 is again energized, attracting its armature 13, thus breaking the circuit of the magnet 34 and closing the circuit of the magnet 18, thus releasing the armature 24 to close the circuit of the motor M, which then winds the curtain, bringing a new sign or advertisement into view, the motor being stopped by another contact 31 coming into engagement with slip-rings 32 and 33. Electromagnet 18 with its cooperating armature, since they control another circuit, constitute a relay, as do also electric magnet 34 and its armature 24. At 40 is shown an ordinary push-button, having the usual contactsprings 41 and 42. By pressing this button magnet 11 is energized and the motor started and controlled, as heretofore described. This push-button 40 may be located at any desired pointas, for instance, within a car or train and. may be pressed, and thus advance the sign or advertising matter at will and inde- Upon the next closure of contacts 6 pendently of the automatic circuit closer which controls contacts 6 and 7. At 43 is a second push-button, whose contact-springs are shown at 44 and 45. trol the circuit of the magnet 34, as in the case of contact 31 and slip-rings 32 and 33. Pushbutton 43 therefore enables the attendant to stop the motor at any time irrespective of scribed.

V In Fig. 2, 46 represents the curtain or sheets bearing, as shown, a plurality of separate signs or advertisements. In the lower righthand corner of the space allotted to each sign or advertisement is secured a metal ribbon or contact-piece 31, which operates, as above described, to bridge the slip-rings 32 and 33 for the purpose of stopping the motor. At one end of the curtain is secured a further contact 47, which is adapted to bridge slip-rings 48 and 49. At the lower end of the curtain 49 and 51. and 50 is to automatically reverse the motor when the entire curtain has been exposed.

or advertisements appear in reversed order, the motor being subject to the same control as heretofore described. All of the curtaincontacts may be set into the curtain or may be secured to the back of the curtain in any suitable manner. Supposing the motor M has been running in such direction as to move the curtain in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, and that the last or uppermost sign has been exposed, the contact 47 comes into engagement with and bridges sliprings 48 and 49, thus closing a circuit including the source of energy 16, conductor 52, slipring 49, contact 47, slip-ring 48, conductor 53, electromagnet 54, and conductor 55. Electromagnet 54 is in consequence energized and attracts its armature 56, pivoted at 57. The armature 56 carries two separate contactpieces 58 and 59, insulated from each other and joined to the terminals of armature 27 of the motor M. At the outer end of the members or contact-pieces 58 and 59 are the contact-screws 60 and 61, respectively. When armature 56 is attracted, these contact-screws 60 and 61 engage with contacts 62 and 63, respectively. The contacts are locked in the position shown in Fig. 1 by the latch 64 at the upper end of an armature 65, mounted upon a blade-spring 66, tending to force said armature toward the left. 67 is an electromagnet included in a circuit controlled by contact 50 and the slip-rings 49 and 51. When the curtain has moved in the reverse direction until contact 50 engages slip-rings 49 and 51, magnet 67 is energized and attracts its armature 65, thus unlocking armature 56, which is then drawn upwardly by springs 68, causing the contacts 58 and 59 to engage with the contact- 2 screws 69 and 70, respectively. The screws the apparatus for so doing, as heretofore deis a contact 50, adapted to engage slip-rings The purpose of these contacts 40 After the motor has been reversed the signs- Contacts 44 and 45 con- 69 and 70 are connected With contacts 63 and 62, respectively, and contact-screw 70 constitutes one terminal of the series field-winding 28 of the motor M, and contacts 63 communicates through conductor 71 with armature 24 of electromagnet 34. It is seen, therefore, that when armature 56 is-in the unlocked position current passes through the motor-armature 27 in one direction, and when armature 56 is in the locked position, as shown, current will pass through the motorarmature in the reverse direction. The direction of the current through the field-winding'28 remains always the same, and therefore the movement of the contacts 58 and 59 to the positions aforementioned causes the motor to rotate in one direction or the other. Electromagnets 54 and 67, along with their armatures which control other electric circuits, are relays, and since each relay when.

it is energized operates to reverse the current through the controlled circuit, each relay is a reversing-relay. There is provided, therefore, means for automatically reversing the motor when the last sign or advertisement has been displayed as, for example, when a trolley-car reaches the end of its run and starts back over the same route.

Referring to Fig. 4, the curtain 46 is secured at one end to the winding roller or spool 72, whose flanges are shown at 7 3. This roller 72 is mounted upon and secured to a shaft 74, extending at each end through the end walls 7 5 and 7 f a casing containing the apparatus. The motor M is mounted upon a pedestal 77 at the rear ofthe casing, and the shaft 78 of the motor extends through the end wall 7 5 and carries at its outer end the sprocketwheel 79, over which travels the chain 80, which travels over a sprocket-wheel 81, se-

cured to the shaft 74 of the spool 72. As

viewed in Fig. 4, on .theleft end of shaft 74 is a sprocket-wheel 82, over which travels the chain 83, which drives the shaft 84 by means of the sprocket-wheel 85. Within the casing and on said shaft 84 is mounted a second spool or roller 86, onto which the curtain winds as it unwinds from roller 72, and vice versa. Bearing upon the roller 72 and resting against that portion of the curtain 46 which is wound thereon is the roller 87, covered with soft rubber 88 and moving in slots 87. This roller is held in contact with the winding-spool 72 either by gravity or spring action by means similar to that controlling the roller 99 and prevents the curtain 46 from unwinding or becomingloosened upon the roller 72. Asimilar roller 89, also covered with rubber 90, is pivoted in the outer ends of links 91 and 92, mounted at their inner ends on pivots 93 and 94. After leaving the roller 72 the curtain 46 passes over the roller 95 and downwardly between sheets of glass 96 and 97 around the lower roller 98 and thence to the winding-rollerfi6. A rubber-covered roller 99 presses upoiifthe curtain rollers 99 and 102 are capable of vertical movement in the slots 104 and 105, respectively.

The curtain 46 is preferably constituted of some transparent or semitransparent material,such as tracing-cloth, commonly employed by draftsmen for making drawings and reproducing prints therefrom. Upon this tracing-cloth are inscribed signs or advertisements, and as the curtain 46 is advanced these signs or advertisements pass between the glasses 96 and 97, and the arrangement is such that when the motor M is stopped a sign or advertisement stops opposite or between the glasses 96 and 97 and may be viewed from the front of the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 3. To make the signs or advertisements more clearly legible, sources of light are placed back of the curtain 46 and approximatelyopposite the glasses 96 and 97. I iind it convenient to employ incandescent lamps, such 106 and 107, of the long candle form. i The light shining through glass 97, curtain 46, and glass 96 make the signs ormlvertisemcnts sharply delined and easily readable.

At the right-hand end of the roller 98, Fig. 4, are mounted the two slip-rings 32 and 33. Upon these slip rings bear the brushes 108 and 109, respectively, mounted upon a piece of insulated material 110, secured to the end plate 75. At the left-hand end of roller 98 are mounted the slip-rings 48, 49, and 51, upon which bear the brushes 111, 112, and 113, respectively. These brushes are secured to an insulating member 114, fastened to the end plate 76. ing mounted upon the curtain 46, are caused to pass between rollers 98 and 102 and in so 'doing bridge the slip-rings and close the circuits, as heretofore described.

In Fig. 7, 115 represents an electric motor supplied with energy by conductors 116 and 117, which latter may connect with the source Gr of Fig. 1 or any othersource, causing the motor to run continuously. Upon the armature-shaft is a pinion 118, which meshes with the gear 119,which drives the disk 120. Mounted in or upon this disk 120 is a metallic contact-piece 121, which is carried in the direc tion of the arrow and engages the brushes 122 and123 and bridges them. These brushes are insulated from each other and mounted upon the standard 124, secured to the motor or any other suitable base. The brushes122 foo The contacts 31, 47, and 50, bc-

and .123 may be substituted for the contacts The display maybe used for window or street advertising, in which case the automatic control of contacts 6 and 7 is supplanted by the control by motor 115, which then closes the circuit of the electromagnet 11 at regular intervals. The curtain 16 is then-advanced to bring into view new advertising matter at each revolution of the disk 120. There may be attached to the disk 120 a pointer 125. ploying the brushes 122 and 123 to control the' electromagnet 11, the disk 120 may be used as an indicator to show at a distance what particular sign is at that moment being displayed by the display apparatus. In this instance a stationary member 126 is graduated, as shown in Fig. 8, with numerous indications corresponding in number with the indications upon the curtain 46 and labeled to correspond with and in the same order of succession as the signs or advertisements upon said curtain 46. In such casethat is, when using the device as an indicatorthe motor 115 has its armatureterminals connected to contacts 58 and 59 and its field-terminals connected with the terminals of field-winding 28, Fig. 1. It is seen, therefore, that motor 115 will be set in motion each time the motor M is set in motion and reversed simultaneously therewith, and the reduction in gearing between the armature of the motor 115 and the shaft of the disk 120 is such that the pointer 125 will move from one graduation on the member 126 to the next succeeding graduation during the interval of the time occupied by moving the curtain 16 from one of its positions of rest to its next succeeding position of rest. When the curtain. 46 has exposed the last sign, it is reversed, as heretofore explained, and motor 115 is simultaneously reversed and will therefore cause the pointer to indicate the signs being exposed when the curtain is being moved in the reverse direction.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the precise circuit arrangement or structure of apparatus herein shown and described, for it is within the scope of.

my invention to employ various equivalent and modified forms both of apparatus and circuit arrangement.

What I claim is-- 1. In a display apparatus, a sign-bearing sheet, a motor for advancing said sheet in either direction, a contact carried by said sheet, and a circuit for controlling said motor, and including contacts bridged by said contact carried by said sign-bearing sheet.

2. In a display apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain in either direction, a member carried by said curtain, and a circuit controlled by said member and-controlling the advance of said curtain.

3. In a display apparatus, a member bearing a plurality of legends, a motor for advancing said member in either direction, and a I/Vhen not emcontact for each legend controlling a circuit which controls the advance of the legend-bearing member.

1. In a display apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain in for closing the circuit of said motor at predetermined times, and means carried by said curtain for causing the rupture of the circuit of said motor when a new legend has been advanced to view.

7. In a display apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, an electric motor for advancing the same, automatic means for closing the circuit of said motor at predetermined times, means controlled by a curtain-contact for stopping said motor when a new legend has been brought to view, and automatic means for reversing said motor after the last legend has been displayed. I

8. In a display apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, an electric motor for advancing said curtain, electromagnetic means for closing the circuit of said motor at predetermined times, electromagnetic means controlled by said ourtain for stopping said motor when a newlegend has been brought to view, and means carried by said curtain for reversing said motor after the last legend has been displayed.

9. In a display apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing the same, a contact for each legend carried by said ourtain, a circuit controlled by each contact in succession for stopping said motor, a further contact carried by said curtain, and a circuit controlled thereby for reversing said motor.

10. In a display apparatus, a single legendbearing curtain, an electric motor for advancing the same, a contact for each legend carried by said curtain, a circuit controlled by each of said contacts in succession for stopping said motor, a pair of other contacts cara new legend has been brought to view, and

electromagnetic means for reversing said motor after the last legend has been displayed.

engaged by saidcurtain, a plurality of contacts carried by said roller, and a circuit controlled by said curtain-contacts cooperating with said roller-contacts for reversing said motor.

' with said roller-contacts for reversing said motor and for stopping said motor at predetermined times.

14. In a display apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, an electric motor for advancing said curtain, a switch controlling the circuit of said motor, an electromagnet for opening said switch, a contact on said curtain for controlling the circuit of said electromagnet, a second electromagnet for releasing said switch to circuit-closing position, an armature for closing the circuit of said second electromagnet said armature controlling the circuit of said firstmentioned electromagnet, and an electromagnet for operating said armature at predetermined intervals.

15. In a display apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, a motor foradvancing said curtain, a reversing-switch 1n the c1rcu1t of said motor,

and a contact carried by said curtain for controlling said switch. i

16. In a display apparatus a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain, contacts on said curtain and movable along different paths, and a reversing-relay controlled by each .contact for reversing said motor.

17 In a display apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing the same, contacts carried by said curtain for stopping said motor at predetermined times, two further contacts carried by said curtain and movable along different paths, and a reversing-relay controlled by each of said two further contacts for reversing said motor.

18. In adisplay apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, amotor for advancing said curtain, a reversing-switch in the circuit of said motor and an electromagnet for operating said reversing-switch, means for locking said switch when operated, a curtain-contact for controlling said electromagnet, a second curtain-contact, and a second electromagnet controlled thereby for releasing said reversing-switch whereby the motor is reversed.

19. In a display apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain, means for closing the circuit of said motor at predetermined intervals, contacts carried by said curtain, a circuit controlled by said contacts for rupturing said motor-circuit when a new le end has been brought to view, a reversing-switch in the circuit of said motor, and other contacts carried by said curtain for controlling said switch.

20. In adisplay apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain, a reversing-switch in the circuit of said motor for rm ersing the same, a contact on said curtain and approximate one end thereof for controlling said reversing-switch, and a second. contact approximate the other end of said curtain for controlling said reversing-switch in a sense opposite to said first-mentioned contact.

21. In a display apparatus a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain, a reversing-switch in the circuit of said motor for reversing the same, said reversing-switch comprising a plurality of fixed contacts, movable contacts cooperating therewith, an armature for operating said movable contacts, a curtain-contact controlling said armature, a lock for said armature, and an electromagnet controlled by a second curtain-contact for operating said lock.

22. In a display apparatus, a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain, a relay energized at predetermined intervals for controlling means for closing the circuit of said motor, curtain-contacts controlling a circuit for rupturing said motm-circuit after a new legend has been brought to view, a reversing-switch in the circuit of said motor for reversing the same, and a curtain-contact for controlling said reversing-switch.

23. In combination, a display ap 'iaratus, comprising a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain, a circuit for starting said motor, a contact for each legend carried by said curtain, a circuit controlled by each contact in succession for stopping said motor, a vehicle having said display apparatus mounted thereon, and means located along the path of said vehicle for controlling said motorstarting circuit.

24,. In combination, a display apparatus, comprising a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain, a circuit for start ing said motor, electromagnetic means controlled by said curtain for stopping said motor when a new legend has been brought to view, means controlled by said curtain for reversing said motor after the last legend has been displayed, a vehicle having said display appara tus mounted thereon, and means located along the path of said vehicle for controlling said motor-starting circuit.

25. In combination, a display apparatus, comprising a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain, a circuit for starting said motor, a contact for each legend car- IIO ried by said curtain, a circuit controlled by each contact in succession for stopping said motor, a further contact carried by said curtain, and a circuit controlled thereby for reversing said motor, a vehicle on which said display apparatus is mounted, and means located along the path of said vehicle for controlling said motor-starting circuit.

26. In combination, a display apparatus, comprising a legend-bearing curtain, a motor for advancing said curtain, a contact for each legend carried by said curtain, a circuit controlled by each contact in succession for stopping said motor a further contact on said curtain, a circuit controlled thereby, a reversingswitch controlling said motor controlled by 

